Put the Things of God First

Today I read Numbers 23 which continues the story of Balaam working with Balak who wants a curse to be put on Israel.  Now, despite his blatant disobedience earlier to God, Balaam is a good man who fears God.  He tells Balak that he can only speak what God has put into His mouth.  The problem with that is that of course God is going to bless Israel, not curse them, which is not pleasing to Balak.

This story reminds me of the story of the 116 pages where Joseph Smith has already been given an answer but keeps pestering the Lord at the behest of men.  Likewise, Balaam already knew the answer when he started, but he still let Balak drag him off to a couple of different places to see what the Lord would say to him.

Now, the Lord does not change.  He is the same yesterday, today and forever.  But WE change.  We are fallible and are prone to change with the slightest provocation.  So there are most certainly instances where things may change in our lives and suddenly the Lord will give us a different answer.  But it is not because God changed, but rather because we have changed.  For example, when my wife and I had been married for about a year, our finances were not the greatest and we were having trouble making ends meet.  She was not able to work due to her health and so we thought of the idea of me getting a second job.  We prayed and prayed but we always felt the answer was no.

Somehow we managed to limp along for a few more months and one day our bishop approached us and asked us to be temple workers in the Louisville, Kentucky temple where we lived at the time.  We of course agreed.  After a month of working in the temple one day I was pondering on our finances and the idea of a second job when an incredible feeling of peace came over me.  I talked to my wife and told her that I felt Heavenly Father was telling me it was ok to get a second job now.  We have put the things of the Lord first, working in the temple, and now it was ok to get a second job.  I put out some applications and was able to get a job right away that worked with my very weird schedule and was able to make more than what we needed.  It was a true blessing in our lives.  But God did not change. 

We changed our circumstances to put God first in our lives and then He blessed us as a result of it, just like it states in Jacob chapter 2 in the Book of Mormon.  If we had gotten a second job first and then been asked to work as temple workers, it would have been way too easy to say no because I did not have the time.  But because we were willing to serve the Lord, we were able to do both and the Lord blessed us so that I still earned enough money for our family, actually more than we needed, even though I had less hours to work.  God takes care of those who serve Him.  I testify that this is true.  Until tomorrow.